Fossoway, a parish chiefly in Perthshire, but partly in Kinross-shire, containing the villages of Blairingone, Crook of Devon, and Carnbo, and comprising the ancient parishes of Fossoway and Tulliebole, united about 1614. Very irregular in outline, it is bounded N by Dunning, NE by Orwell, E by Kinross, SE by Cleish, S by Torryburn and Saline in Fife, SW by Clackmannan and Dollar in Clackmannanshire, and W by Muckart and Glendevon. Its length, from ENE to WSW, varies between 2¼ . and 8¾ miles; its utmost breadth, from N to S, is 5½ miles; and its area is 17,356½ acres, of which 6904¼ . belong to the Kinross-shire or Tulliebole section. On or close to the Glendevon and Muckart border, the ' crystal Devon ' winds 95/8 . miles south-eastward and west-south-westward, from just above Downhill to near Pitgober, the point where it first touches and that where it leaves this parish being only 41/8 . miles distant as the crow flies. During this course it exhibits the finest of its famous scenery, described in our articles Devil's Mill, Rumbling-Bridge, and Caldron Linn. Other chief streams are Gairney Water, which falls into the Devon below the Caldron Linn, and South Queich Water, running to Loch Leven. Perennial springs of pure water are everywhere abundant; a petrifying spring is on the lands of Devonshaw; and a medicinal spring, erroneously known as Dollar Water, is on the lands of Blairingone. The surface declines along the Devon to close on 100 feet above sea-level, and S of Crook of Devon, it, though undulating, nowhere much exceeds 600 feet; but northwards it rises to 734 feet near Knockintinny, 1496 at Lendrick Hill, 1134 at Cloon, 1573 at Mellock Hill, and 1621 at Innerdouny Hill- summits these of the Ochils. The rocks are partly eruptive, partly carboniferous. Trap and sandstone are quarried in several places; coal has been worked in three mines, ironstone in one; and limestone occurs in connection with both, whilst copper ore, not rich enough to repay the cost of working, is found near Rumbling-Bridge. The soils are variously clayey, loamy, gravelly, and mossy; and some are fertile, others very inferior. Fully three-fifths of all the land are regularly or occasionally in tillage, and some 650 acres are under wood. Aldie and Tulliebole castles are prominent objects, both separately noticed; mansions are Devonshaw and Glen Tower; and an old circular ruin on the lauds of Aldie, an oblong moated mound on the barony of Coldrain, the Gallow Knowe adjacent to Crook of Devon village, and the Monk's Grave between the lands of Gartwhinean and those of Pitfar, are chief antiquities. Four proprietors hold each an annual value of £500 and upwards, 23 of between £100 and £500, 9 of from £50 to £100, and 18 of from £20 to £50. Giving off a portion to the quoad sacra parish of Blairingone, this parish is in the presbytery of Kinross and synod of Fife; the living is worth £265. The parish church, near Crook of Devon village, was built in 1806, and contains 525 sittings. There is also a Free church of Fossoway; and two public schools, Carnbo and Fossoway, with respective accommodation for 88 and 170 children, had (1881) an average attendance of 42 and 77, and grants of £52, 12s. and £51,4s. 2d. Valuation (1882) £8782,5s. 8d. Pop. (1801) 1312, (1831) 1576, (1841) 1724, (1861) 1584, (1871) 1461, (1881) 1267, of whom 772 belonged to the Perthshire section, and 934 to the ecclesiastical parish of Fossoway.—Ord. Sur, shs. 40,39, 1867-69.
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